Question:
Can you give an explanation of how fuel cells work?

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In a typical combustion reaction, fuel and oxygen are burned to produce heat which is used to rotate a turbine and generate electricity or power. However, fuel cells generate electricity directly from the fuel through chemical reactions. Since only ions can pass through an electrolyte, the hydrogen ions that result from the breakdown of hydrogen pass through the electrolyte to the oxygen side of the cell, while the electrons released pass through an external circuit also leading to the oxygen side. Once there, hydrogen ions and electrons bond with oxygen to form water. The electrons produced during this process can do work as they pass through the external circuit (see figure 3).